Children’s artwork brings joy to Social Sciences online community

9 year old Charlotte was set the challenge of drawing her mum as a university student
9 year old Charlotte was set the challenge of drawing her mum as a university student

GCU students have been asking their children to draw what they think that they do while at university – with some funny results!

Social Sciences lecturer Katy Proctor took to the Social Sciences Community Facebook group to suggest the creative idea to students, with many of them working at home with their children and younger family members.

Fourth year Social Sciences student Jen McKeeman, asked her 6-year old son Harley to draw what he thought she did as a university student. She said: “Firstly, when he drew it and I asked him what I was doing and he said ‘teaching the class’ - I wish! He also seemed obsessed with getting the right number of windows on the building!”

Third year Social Sciences student and parent Kayleigh Morrison finds great comfort in the Social Sciences Community group. She said: “It’s been a great support having the Social Sciences Community page.

The fact that lecturers are contributing and offering guidance when it’s an uncertain time for everyone has definitely reassured me. Being able to chat to other students too has been really invaluable.”

Katy Proctor suggested the idea as a way to spread positivity and build community within the Social Sciences programme. She said: “I have been trying to think of small ‘no pressure’ tasks that people can engage with during our isolation and I know that a lot of our students are either parents themselves or have young people in their lives.

This seemed like a good idea because it was something that people could share with others who might be struggling – there are very few people who don’t smile when they see children’s artwork!”
She added: “I think things like this are really important because it builds a sense of community.

People are able to share happy snippets of their lives that others can engage with. It’s so easy to get drawn in to a cycle of sleeping in, disengaging, and becoming depressed when we don’t have normal routine in our lives.

Having something small to do that can make people smile can go a long way to improving their mood and seeing that there’s still lots of ‘normality’ and fun in the world. “

 

By Rachael McAlonan

 

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